Courtesy Georgetown Sports Information Mike Sweetney

Georgetown men’s basketball junior forward Mike Sweetney will declare himself eligible for the 2003 NBA draft, Head Coach Craig Esherick announced yesterday.

“I met with Mike and his parents yesterday. We discussed ike’s future and agreed on a prudent course for determining ike’s professional value,” Esherick said in a press release. “Mike has not hired an agent or withdrawn from school.”

Players that declare themselves eligible for the draft but do not hire an agent have until June 19 to rescind their declaration of eligibility.

Sweetney will continue classes at Georgetown for the remainder of the semester and will complete his exams. He will then determine where he would be projected to go in the draft, and will make his decision at that time. Before the season, Sweetney promised his parents that he would graduate. The move does not necessarily counter this statement, Esherick said.

“Mike and his family are approaching this issue in a prudent manner and I am in full support of this process. Mike is going to continue as a student and, as such, has requested that his privacy be respected and that he be allowed the time necessary for school work.”

Both Sweetney and Esherick have declined to comment further.

“Because my involvement in the process of determining ike’s professional value would be affected by my interaction with the news media, I am also declining interview opportunities on this subject,” Esherick said.